I am Heart Fit
I am Aerobic Fit
I am HFit / AFit
These two simple self-directed assessments help you determine your cardiovascular fitness
Meet the Criteria on one or both assessments and Get Awarded (see sticker).
Heart Fit (HFit) is a foundational goal for everyone. Aerobic Fit (AFit) is a higher-level goal for those who train regularly and rigorously. You cannot be Aerobic Fit without being Heart Fit.
Do not do this program unless you agree to the waiver (see waiver) and
answered No to all PAR Q questions (see PAR Q).
I am HFit (Heart Fit) Program
Heart Fit (HFit) is a foundational goal for everyone and reflects baseline cardiovascular health and functional capacity. Aerobic Fit (AFit) is a higher-level goal appropriate for individuals who train regularly at moderate to high intensities. Aerobic fitness cannot be achieved without first establishing heart fitness.
4 Parts
1. Do you have good blood Pressure: Resting blood pressure at or below 120/80 mmHg, with or without medication. Well-controlled blood pressure is a key indicator of cardiovascular health and risk management. Learn more about blood pressure here.
2. Do you have low resting Heart Rate: A morning resting heart rate of <65 beats per minute, measured before getting out of bed. In general, a lower resting heart rate reflects greater cardiac efficiency, though individual variation exists.? Typically the lower the resting heart rate the fitter you are.
3. Easy Aerobic Tests (3 parts):
Walking a mile in 14-15 minutes (3.7 - 4 mph): Walking a mile in this time range indicates a fair level of aerobic ability. It's a simple and widely used measure.
Climbing four flights of stairs fast (40-48 steps): If you can climb this number of stairs without getting completely out of breath and without having to stop, it suggests a fair level of aerobic ability. Stair climbing is a good indicator of cardiovascular fitness.
Performing >64 up and down steps in total in 2 minutes: This is another measure of stair climbing endurance. Use the first step of a flight of stairs or an eight inch step. If you can achieve this in 2 minutes, it also suggests a fair level of aerobic ability. It adds a time element to the stair climbing test.
4. Do you have fast recovery heart rate after exercise that makes you out of breath? Heart Rate Recovery: Following exercise intense enough to cause noticeable breathlessness, heart rate should decrease by ≥12 beats within 1 minute and/or ≥22 beats within 2 minutes. Faster heart rate recovery reflects better cardiovascular fitness and autonomic nervous system function. (learn more here).
See HFit check-list (see tests).
Heart Fit (HFit) focuses on cardiovascular health, functional capacity, and recovery — the foundations required before pursuing higher-level aerobic performance.
I am AFit (Aerobic Fit) Program
Complete and pass the HFit Program above and score above average on one of the I am AFit aerobic tests. We can guide you to what is best for you and how to do them.
Determine Your Aerobic Ability Using a Simple MET Test
This test helps estimate your aerobic capacity by identifying your MET level at either a submaximal (non-peak) or maximal (peak) effort using an exercise machine of your choice. Once you determine your MET value, compare it to the chart to see how you rank for your age group.
1. Choose an aerobic exercise machine
Most machines display METs, which indicate exercise intensity. If your machine does not display METs, see the red section below for alternatives or ask your trainer to determine MET level achieved.
2. Choose your test type
Submaximal (Non-Peak) MET Level: A “somewhat hard” intensity that you can sustain comfortably (approximately 7 on a 1–10 Rating of Perceived Exertion scale).
Maximal (Peak) MET Level: The highest intensity you can sustain. This provides a more accurate measure of aerobic capacity.
3. Perform the warm-up and test protocol
a.Begin with a general warm-up.
b.Complete at least two 3-minute stages, increasing intensity with each stage.
c.Identify the highest intensity you can maintain for a full 3 minutes.
d.If you cannot complete the final 3-minute stage, reduce the intensity and identify the highest level you can sustain for the full duration.
4. Record your MET level
This value represents your aerobic ability for this test.
5. Compare your result to the chart. See chart
If your MET value meets or exceeds the level for your age group, you have achieved the Fit or xFit standard.
This is a practical, field-based aerobic fitness assessment that estimates peak or submaximal MET capacity using standard cardio equipment. It is appropriate for general fitness assessment, program design, and progress tracking, but is not a substitute for laboratory-measured VO₂max testing.
If you do not have a machine that displays METS, but has WATTS use this calculation to convert WATTS to METS (see calculation, must include body weight). If your treadmill that does not displays METS, but has MPH and Incline use this calculation to convert to METS (see calculation, must include body weight). See more about METS here).
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How to Improve your Heart Health!
We can tailor a program for you. Email us to find out how to get started (fittec@me.com).
Please see our Nutrition Page for Heart Healthy Diets like the Dash and the Mediterranean Diets.
Please see our Aerobic Program Page for more details on how to improve Aerobic Ability.
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